GET THE LOOK
This stunning garden in Somerset is a haven for conifers
MoSt gardeners only consider picking up a Picea when they’re choosing their annual Christmas trees, but for Steve Cleverdon such plants are a year-round feature in his small garden looking towards Somerset’s famous Cheddar Gorge.
Steve was growing rare and unusual conifers long before the Jeremy Vine texture Garden wowed visitors at May’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and he never fails to be fascinated by their diversity and year-round good looks.
“I love the colours, shapes and textures,” says Steve.
“For me, it’s all about foliage. the pines can be golden, blue, bronze or green. I love the way things change colour throughout the year, and it’s great to have so much structure during the winter.”
Steve has collected more than 100 rare and unusual conifer cultivars that now fill the compact long and narrow garden that extends behind the centuries-old cottage in which he lives with his wife Jane.
the garden had been a grassy slope before Steve started introducing his favourite specimens around 10 years ago and he’s always opted for hardy types, such as Abies koreana with its beautiful spring cones, to reduce the risk of winter-induced losses.
“I run a plant nursery and the rule is that everything has to be hardy, has to grow in any soil and has to look good all year,” says Steve, who also runs a garden-design service using conifers and volunteers for the National trust.
“In our garden I’ve stuck to conifers that are tactile but not prickly, and before planting I check the size the trees reach when they’re mature so I don’t have to prune them into shape later on. they don’t need a lot of space for their roots.
“over the years I have learnt that golden conifers do better in the sun, while blue ones are better in the shade.”
As well as looking good in their own right, the conifers provide a
stunning backdrop for Steve’s collection of bonsai trees, which he displays on wooden stands. The Japanese theme continues with a variety of acers that add an extra dimension to the garden, with their delicate leaves displaying subtle changes in colour before falling, and katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum), which produces beautiful red flowers and a candy floss-like smell in autumn.
Complementing them is a Far Eastern-inspired tea house, an arch and an ornamental fish pond overlooked by a Japanese-styed bridge.
Bonsai has long been a passion for Steve and his collection of mature small trees, including some that are 80 or 90 years old, stay outside throughout the whole year.
“Most of my bonsai trees are ones I have grown myself,” he says.
All in all, Steve believes conifers have a lot more to offer than many gardeners realise and that they are ripe for a deserved comeback.
“To me, it’s about creating art: there are various books that can help people learn the basics of growing them, but it’s not difficult,” he says.
“Our garden has a very tranquil feel to it, due in no small part to the conifers, and it’s always evolving,” he adds.